Link sighed.
It was the reason he came, to look for her. He did not understand why she left, only that she had to. It was then he realised they were still in the lost woods, and they should be out by
now.
"Epona? Don't you remember the way?" *Oh no.* Epona had never been in the lost woods before.
No problem, they just needed to find a land mark, so they journeyed a little further.
Link looked around for anything familiar, Still nothing was recognisable. They wondered further on.
A short while later, Link had to admit the impossible.
They were lost.
In the Lost woods.
About an hour of wondering, Link decided Epona had to rest.
"I don't believe this," said Link. The Lost woods had been part of his home, and here he was lost. He should have realised this could happen. He felt as if he was rejected, like a discarded child. Navi did more then just hang around. The fairy protected him from the powerful magic this place was famous for.
It wasn't just a name. Among the Kokiri, the legend was that lost souls entering the woods, if they spend a prolonged amount of time, would eventually became Stalfos Knights and never again able to leave as the forest have laid claim to them. Before, the forest conveniently ignored him as he was considered a Kokiri with Navi's presence. But now, he had no fairy companion.
"Let's not panic," Link whispered to Epona as he unmounted. He was starting to feel dizzy, the
path no longer looked certain. He took out a small lunch and began eating, focusing only on
himself and Epona, daring not to sneak a peek at the hypnotising trees. He knew enough on how
to survive in the forest for a while, without becoming a Stalfos. He remembered bits and pieces
from the Kokiri. Never fall asleep in the grassy areas, do not start a fire at any point and,
most importantly, do not take or consume anything magical from the Lost Woods.
As Link finished his lunch, the dizziness increased, his wooziness becoming near-unbearable as he doubled over, falling stomach first onto the ground. Golden light began to appear around him, obscuring everything from Link's sight.
"Is this the end? Am I becoming a stalfos?" Link tried to look around, but he saw nothing but golden light everywhere.
Suddenly, a female voice spoke. "It is time, Link. Don't be afraid…. Come with us… Join us!"
"What's happening!?" Link cried in fear. As quickly as everything had started, it stopped. The Golden light disappeared, and Link sat up.
He was sitting in a grassy flowery meadow. As far as Link could see, there was grass and flowers. Near him was a hill with a single tree at the summit. It reminded Link of the meadow within Majora's Moon.
Noticing a small figure seated on the hill near the tree, Link decided to ask where he was. Although he knew he was not anywhere he had been before, something about this place seemed so very familiar to him…
She wore a green tunic over a dark green long-sleeved turtleneck sweater, green shorts matching tunic, and matching green boots. And to top it off, she wore a dark green hairband that held her shoulder-length green hair in place. She held a tan brown ocarina to her chest, and a sad expression adorned her face. Her eyes were closed, so she didn't notice Link approaching her.
As Link approached the girl, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked up. Her eyes were blue like the rippling waters of Lake Hylia.
The two looked into each other's eyes…
"Saria?" asked Link.
"L-Link?" whispered Saria.
After a long minute. The two made a small smile which grew into an over joyous one as the two ran into each other and into a warm and happy embrace. The two friends had finally been brought back together after the events of the darkened future that never was.
Saria put her head to Link's chest and whispered while sobbing with joy "I missed you, Link."
Link held her in his arms and whispered in her ear "Don't worry Saria… I'm right here…"
"I haven't seen you this happy since the Kokiri Festival!"
Breaking their embrace, Link and Saria looked up towards the voice. A tiny blue-and-white fairy slowly spiraled downwards and hovered in the air between them. Her name escaped Link's lips "Navi?"
"It's good to see you again, Link. And this time, we're here to stay. Both of us."
Link wiped joyful tears from his eyes as he looked at his two friends he had lost and then found. So long as he was with those he loved, he was home.
After defeating the Evil King Ganon in the future and saving Termina from ruin, the Hero of Time eventually crossed the Lost Woods once more in order to return to the lands of Hyrule.
It is unknown what happened to him in the years that followed. Even the wisest men wonder about his fate.
Only those who had crossed the Hero's path and still remembered him as a friend could feel that his journey had come to an end. Some of them believe that he finally found what he had been looking for when the Goddess of Time embraced him with her divine grace and let him come home.